WQXE News

If you are in need of assistance with wrapping up your last-minute Christmas gifts, help is available this weekend with Empowered Life.

“We are doing a gift wrap fundraiser,” said Empowered Life President Christi Schovel. “We’re asking anyone who needs gifts wrapped to come to 225 College Street. We’re just right down the road from the police station in the Project Learn building, and we will wrap their gifts for them for a donation.”

All proceeds from the gift wrapping will go towards the cost of activities and expenses for the organization.

“We provide enrichment and social and life skills to individuals with intellectual disabilities, high school-age and older,” Shovel said

The gift wrapping fundraiser runs from 1 to 6 p.m. on Saturday, December 21. Contact Schovel for more information on the organization.

The Hardin County Fiscal Court met for their final meeting of the year Thursday afternoon.

Hardin County Sheriff John Ward reported that his office made 193 arrests and issued 176 citations in October and November. When discussing his office’s budget request for calendar year 2025, Ward said the county’s supplement for the budget is the same as last year.

“Our revenue will increase through the fees, but the judge asked us to hold it at the same contribution rate, supplement rate that the court did last year,” Ward said.

Hardin County Clerk Brian D. Smith recounted some of his office’s accomplishments in 2024 including opening the branch office in Radcliff, securing more than $300,000 in state grant funding, and working through the rollout of a new state vehicle registration system. Smith also made his office’s budget request for calendar year 2025.

“In my first year’s budget, we requested $2.51 million, which represented a cut of $76,000 from 2023,” Smith said. “This year we’re coming in a little higher than last year with a request of $2.515 million, representing a cut of over $71,000 from 2023. We think that’s the fiscally responsible thing to do.”

Resolutions for both budget requests were approved, along with a resolution amending the sheriff’s office’s 2024 calendar year budget to balance line items.

At the beginning of the meeting, Hardin County Judge/Executive Keith Taul asked for a moment of silence for the families of county residents impacted by drug overdose deaths in 2024. During magistrate comments, Magistrate Aaron Pennington encouraged anybody struggling with addiction to take advantage of available resources.

“We do offer services to try to help, and we have information out there with (Hardin County Quick Response Team Coordinator) Justin Blair, and we just want to keep pounding that out there so people understand that we are providing, and we are trying to provide, more resources for people to get help,” Pennington said.

The Hardin County Fiscal Court will next meet January 14.

Support area students and ring in 2025 with the Elizabethtown Lions Club New Year’s Day Dash 5K Run and Walk. The event will be held at the Elizabethtown Sports Park on January 1 beginning at 9 a.m.

“It’s $30 for registration, and if you register by December 20 online you’re ensured to get a t-shirt, and of course if you do show up the day of the race we’ll take you, but we cannot guarantee a t-shirt,” said E-Town Lions Club member Patricia Moore. “100 percent of the profits go back to the Hardin County community, but this year our main recipient is Tools for School. It’s the program where children get much needed supplies.”

The link to register for the 5K is available through Central Kentucky Race Management. Walk-up registrations the day of the event will be accepted. Contact the Elizabethtown Lions Club for more information.